Game-board



(No Model.)

B. L. MGOONAUGHY.

GAME BOARD.

Patented Dec. 8 1891.

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EDWVIN L. MCCONAUGHY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

GAME-BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 464,887, dated December 8, 1891.

Application filed March 6, 1891. Serial No. 383,996. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN L. McGoNAUGHY, of-Thiladelphia, in the county of Philadelphla and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Game- Boards, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a game-board of a type in which one or more movable objects are projected toward points on the board where pockets or cavities are made to receive them, the object being to provide a gameboard of the character indicated which contains a novel propelling device for rolling projectiles and of novel construction with regard to the pockets and guarding approaches that render the deposit of the projectiles difficult.

To this end my invention consists in certain features of construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the game-board. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a diagonal section of one corner of the board, taken on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1, indicating the construction of a guard-wall around one of the pockets. Fig. 4 is a diagonal section of another corner portion of the game-board, taken on the line 4: 4 in Fig. 1, showing the guarding approach to another pocket and the location of other pockets near this corner of the board. Fig. 5 is a view of another corner portion of the board, taken on the line 5 5 in Fig. 1, indicat ing the location of another pocket and its guard-wall. Fig. (5 is a detail view of a modified means for actuating one of the principal features of the invention. Fig. 7 is a detail view of a modified form of air-jet producer .used to impart progressive motion to the projectiles on the board, and Fig. 8 is a broken transverse section of the game-board near one end thereof and in front of the tentdike structure;

The game-board consists, essentially, of a rectangular-table A, mounted upon adjustable legs a and provided with a border or cushion wall I). At each end of the elongated table A curved walls 0 and c are erected, whichwalls are of similar form, and are preferably sustained in place by the pins 0 that are driven into the table on opposite sides of the said walls.

Near the center of the table A a perforation is made for the insertion of a tube cl, which is bent at a right angle, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to project one portion downwardly through the table and the other leg in a plane parallel with the upper surface of the table. As it is intended that the tube (Z shall simulate the form and action of a cannon, it is incased in ajacket or enveloping tubular por tion 6, that is shaped like a gun of the type indicated and has a flange-plate e attached to it, which is adapted to revolve upon a stationary base-plate f, the tube (Z and outer portion e being secured together.

On the lower end of the bent tube 61 a grooved pulley g is secured, and near the edge of the table A, at the front end, upon the lower surface, a grooved wheel g, of greater diameter, is pivotally supported. The pulleys g and g, being connected by a belt or endless cord 9 transmit a rotary movement to the cannon 6.

Below the pulley g, on the end of the bent tube cl, a flexible air-t ube (1, preferably made of gum-hose, is attached by one of its ends, and the other end of the air-tube, which is shown broken away in Fig. 2, has a hollow gum sphere B attached to it, which will, when compressed, expel a jet of air from the nozzle of the tube (1 and out of the cannon 6; but a bellows D (shown in Fig.7) may be substituted for the sphere B, if preferred. The flexible tube a is preferably connected to the tube (Z by a swivel-joint and supported from the under surface of the board by an eye or hook d as shown in Fig. 2. I

It may here be explained that the pulleys g g may be substituted by the bevel gearwheels h h and the belt 9 by a shaft 7& supported by brackets from the under side of the table A, as shown in Fig. 6, which shaft, if revolubly moved by its thumb-wheel h will similarly move the cannon e to direct its muzzle in any radial direction, having the Vertical part of the tube 01 as a center pivot.

There are a number of cavities formed in -=-\four pockets 2' 4 t i are located. The pocket 11 is preferably given a value of three hundred in the game played on the board and is guarded by two similar angularly-bent side walls 1, which are flared, so as to afford a passage for a ball or projectile between them.

fs Near the curved wall a the pocket 2" is placed in line with the pocket 6, and a set of guardpi-ns 2 extend in curved rows from. the ends of"t'heguard-walls 1 to inclose the space betweenthe pockets 1' t", leaving a narrow passage infront of the latter-named for the travel of the projectile or ball O, the pocket t" being seated in front of a tent-like structure 3, formed of pins inserted in the table and inclined toward each other in rows that are parallel where they enter the table. The pocket 11 is preferably given a value of four hundred in the game, and at equal distances from said pocket, near the side cushions of the table A and close to the curved wall 0, two pockets k 70 are formed, which are respectively given a value of fifty and one hundred in the game played on the board. On each side of the angular guard-walls and near them the pockets k k are seated, and nearly in a line, laterally considered, between the pocket 70 and the side cushion of the table A a pocket 76 is formed. The pockets k 70 are respectively valued twenty and thirty in the game and the pocket k two hundred."

Near' the right-hand corner of the board, adjacent to the pocket 7a, a pocket in is produced in the table, which is given a value of two hundred and fifty, and to prevent an easy entrance thereto said pocket is guarded by a stellated wall 4, held in place by pins vertically inserted in the table A, the inclosurearound said pocket having an opening facing the pivot-center of the cannon e, and toward this point a serpentine grooved passage 5 is formed in the table. Said passage for the travel of the projectile O is guarded on each side by a row of pins 6, which may be so spaced as to allow the projectile C to pass outwardly between them. A pocket m isproduced between the serpentine passage 5 and the side cushion b of the table A and is given a valuation of ninety in the game. A guard-wall of pins 7 is extended from the curved wall 0 diagonally to inclose the pockets 7c and as shown in Fig. 1, said wall having an opening in it opposite the pocket k for the entrance of the ball or projectile O.

- Near the guard-wall 7 and side cushion of the table a pocket m is located, which is given a valuation of eighty in the game.

The pocket- 2' which is located on the median line of the table A and near the curved each side of the pocket 15 the similar pockets n n are formed in the table A and are respectively valued nothing and ten in the game, and, as indicated in Fig. 1, guard-walls of plus 10 are erected to prevent a lateral escape of the ball G, that passes through the tunnel it toward the pocket i v In the left-hand corner of the table A,near the side cushion b and curved wall c',-a p'o'clret 0 is located, around which is} acircular Ime 0'. If a ball O is within said line, maybe counted as gaining one-half the valiie of the pocket it incloses, or one hundred and fifty, the pocket 0' having a value of three hundred.

In front of the pocketo a wicket o is placed, which is composed of side walls and an angular elevation 0 the latter extending acrp'ss the space between the sidewalls and forming a ridge over which a ball or projectile 0 must pass to enter the wicketed inclos'tir'e that is bounded by a semicircular row of gear-d pths 8, within which is placed the central peck e t 0, before mentioned, and another pocket 19, that is nearer the wall 0.-

Concentric with the pocket 0 a series of Y pockets q g g g g are arranged extei icnf of the pin-wall 8 and on each side of the wicketpassage mentioned, which are inclosed withln two curved lines imitating a fort,-

pockets having a value, respectively, of one, two,- three, four, and five in a game. H 1

On the right-hand side of the table A, near the corner formed between the side cushion b and curved wall 0, a pocket 7'' is placed, which is also given a value of three hundred in the game. Said pocket isinclos d by a nearly-circular guard-wall 1" that is supported in position by the vertical pins 9,- that are left separated sufficiently on' the line 5 (see Fig. 1) for the entrance of a ball 0 when it is driven by an air-jet from the cannon c,- and in case the ball enters the opening mentioned and fails to roll into the pocket 7' it is counted as one-half value of said pocket,- or one hundred and fifty in the game. v

In playing a game-which preferably consists of two thousand five hundred points, there are any desired number of balls 0 used upto six, one being used by each of the players, who take turns in playing, the object being to se cure the highest number of points by playing the ball of each player into pockets representing the high numbers, each players' score being represented by the aggregate number of points thus secured. In playing each player may choose any one of the six spots 10 11 12 IIO 13 14 15 on which to locate his ball and by a jet of air from the cannon e propel the ball toward the pocket it is desired to enter, the ball 0 of one player being shown in position on the spot 11 ready for propulsion. As the force of the air-jet must be graduated to suit the distance the ball is to traverse and locate it in a pocket, the game played on this improved game-board requires good judgment as well as skill in the manipulation of the cannon to aim it and control the air-jet to propel the ball correctly.

There may be a number of rules made to control the games which may be played on this improved game-board that it is not necessary to enumerate in this description of mechanical details. It will be apparent that an entertaining and innocent diversion will be afforded, as well as a training forthe hand and eye, in playing upon this improved device.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A game-board consisting of a table having a marginal cushion, pockets irregularly arranged on the surface of the table, and an air-jet device located in the table nearits center and adapted to be revolved to align with the pockets, substantially as set forth.

2. A game-board having a fiat table provided with a cushion around its edge and a revoluble air-jet device adapted to radially project a light ball on said table toward any one of a series of pockets formed in the table at different points on its top surface, said pockets having different values to be counted in the game when filled by a ball, substantially as described.

3. In a game-board, the combination,with a table having a marginal cushion and pockets irregularly arranged on the surface of the table, of a swiveling angular air-jet device located in the table near its center, one member of which device aligns the surface of the table and the other member projects through the table, and projectiles adapted to be propelled by the air-jet device into the pockets in the table, substantially as described.

4. In a game-board,the combination,with a table having a marginal cushion, pockets in its top, and guard-walls around some of said pockets and partly inclosing them, of a revolving tubular device having a portion aligned with the top surface of the table and a portion projected down through the table, to which latter portion is attached an air-jet device, said devices coacting, when manipulated, to propel a ball or projectile on the fa ble toward any desired pocket, substantially as described.

5. In a game-board, the combination, witha table having a cushion around its edge, a curved wall near each end, pockets having guard-Walls, and pockets guarded by a wicket provided with a ridge between its walls, of-a revolving tubular device adapted to project an" air-jet parallel with the top surface of the table, and an air-jet blower attached to the revoluble air-jet device, substantially as described.

EDIVIN L. MOOONAUGHYI Witnesses:

H. W. BARRY,

B. MouLDER. 

